By Erum Rizvi
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When the audience watches a marching band competition, they  usually cannot see the marching band practicing for hours, the devotion band members’ parents put into ensuring the competition runs smoothly or even shipping the equipment and making sure it gets to its destination safely.  For Kevin Carlson, drum major and senior, marching band is a performing arts activity that he knows takes dedication from many people and a lot of cooperation.

“Most Carmel students only see the marching band’s halftime and pre-game football performances. Most of our energy is devoted to preparing for competitions we have almost every Saturday in September, October and November,” Carlson said.

According to Carlson, the band starts rehearsals in the spring semester of the previous school year. The marching band rehearses before and after school Tuesday through Friday and Saturdays before competitions, often as early as 8 a.m.

Performing arts teacher Rachel Tookolo said that besides all the hard work band members have, the parent support is what makes the marching band possible.

“From building show props, maintaining uniforms and driving the equipment trucks, there is a lot to be done and our parents do an amazing job at accomplishing it all,” she said.

As well as all the preparation and devotion needed in marching band, there is a great deal of help needed in order to ship the equipment to and from competitions.

According to Carlson, the band has a semi trailer and two box trucks that they fill with their sound board and speakers, drum major podiums, uniforms, wind instruments, a vast array of percussion instruments, color guard equipment and a few parents who volunteer to drive all this equipment around.

There are a total of four drum majors including Carlson, senior Kyle McBane, junior Lexie Krohn and junior Christopher Wilner. According to Associate Band Director Christopher Kreke, the drum majors have worked hard to get to where they are now as the marching band just completed its season with a fifth place finish out of 92 bands at the Bands of America National Championships. Rather than having a specific director supervise them, drum majors guided their own advancement, assisted by comments from various staff members as well as the students who watched.

Carlson said he thinks being a drum major is a demanding but hugely rewarding position. “It was so incredible to be able to watch the band develop from the front through this season,” he said. “I know that all of us who have done it have come out of the experience far different than we entered it.”

A day in the life of a marching band member

First: The group arrives at the contest site two hours before performance time.
Then: Members change into their uniforms and unload all of the equipment from the trucks.
Next: They move to a visual warm-up area for 30 minutes and then a music warm-up area for 30 minutes
After: They move into their performance
Last: They reload all equipment and wait for award

CHRISTOPHER KREKE / SOURCE